Most recording artists today are either safe and predictable, or over-the-top and constantly reinventing themselves. Where do you think you fall on this spectrum?
"Kind of in the middle. I like to do random things — a couple weeks back I bleached my eyebrows off. I do sporadic things and I think that's what's fun about where I am. I get to play around with that. But I definitely haven't shown up anywhere in an egg, or with a Pope impersonator...yet."
How would you describe your style?
"I grew up really influenced by rock 'n' roll, and grunge. When I was 10, I thought I was like Kurt Cobain, and you really couldn't tell me any different. Then I grew up and I started with Gwen Stefani — I remember my parents bought me the No Doubt album when I was like nine. I remember them buying me the Eminem album, and me getting more into hip-hop when I was 12, 13, and in high school. So, I like to infuse the influence of hip-hop culture and street culture, with a little bit of that raw undertone. Imperfection is what's really cool to me. Even when I'm performing live, I like when kids see me mess up sometimes, or I like when my voice cracks — that's what I celebrated when I'd go watch my favorite bands. That little bit of imperfection."
Your first album, The Night The Sun Came Up, just came out. How have things changed for you since its release?
"I went on my first sort of headlining tour, so I do all of my own venues with these great light set-ups, I have background singers, and all these props — I'm not used to that at all. I have 'in ears' now, so I can hear myself when I sing. You know, all that cool stuff. So it's changed a little bit. I just had a baby [a daughter named Emilia Lovely], so that kind of added to the change, but everything's definitely been good. So nothing too hectic yet."
A lot of up-and-coming artists do their own hair and makeup — are you really good at doing your own beauty looks?
"I did my own hair makeup up until right now, this tour that I'm on right now. I'd curl and style it myself, and do my own makeup."
Anything you're particularly skilled at?
"I like doing a cat-eye, but a little smoky on the ends. Kind of like I have today. Because my eyes are really big, I feel like it adds to the roundness. I literally get an eyeliner pencil and I rim the outside corner, the whole top and just the corner of the bottom of my eyes. Then I take an eyeshadow brush and I smudge it up. It makes you look a little bit messed up and it's kind of cool. It's fun if you use dark blues and purple — you can play around with that. I also put lighter shadows in the corners [of my eyes] to look a little more awake and alive."
What are some of your must-have beauty products?
"Right now I'm using this great hair product called Night Rider by Kevin Murphy. It a creamy paste and it holds my hair while I'm onstage, because I sweat a lot — that's so gross, but I get really sweaty — so it holds it really nice. I love CK One's dual bronzer, because when I've been stuck on a bus and I haven't been in the sun, I look crazy without it. It makes me all of a sudden look happy, and tan, and pretty. I like to contour with it — I have really high cheekbones. I don't know where they come from, but they're great, so I like to play with those. For my skin, I actually use Cetaphil. I use the cleanser and the moisturizer twice a day, every day and night, and it works."
What are the cool trends or looks that you've been dying to try?
"I did the bleached eyebrows thing and everybody thought it was wacko, but I thought it was really fucking cool. This is really strange, but I'm really into pinky rings right now. You know how rappers have pinky rings? So I got a pinky ring. It's kind of sick, right? It's a little bit ridiculous. It has my daughter's initials."
Finally, what's the best beauty advice you have ever received?
"Hung Vanngo, CK One's makeup artist, is the one who told me to try the Cetaphil. He also told me to get this Aveeno scrub and to use it three times a week, every week, on my body and face. He said that if you exfoliate your body and face, it will make your skin pretty and for when the makeup goes on."